, 1887-05-19
A LIVELY BLAZE.
The Old California House Badly
ScOrched.
Magnificent Work by the Fire
Department.

laurels last night and proved that IT is
capable of handling any coniagration
that may break out in the city, and
the good work was accomplished in
the face Of the most discouraging diff
culties. About o'clock last evening,
while the streets were thronged with
people, IL dense smoke was observed
issuing from the roof OF the California
House, the largest frame structure in
the city, and the alarm OF fire was at
once sounded. The department re-
sponded promptly. Two streams were
attached Mt the plug ut the corner of
Howard and Front streets, one ut the
corner of Stevens and Front streets,
and another at the corner OF Main
and Howard streets. The boys found
themselves in bad predicnment, as
the fire appeared to be in the roof at
the rear OF the hotel, and as there is no
hook and ladder truck, and n
lot of small buildings in
terferring with handling the
hose, there was some delay before
water was got on and it was ten or iif-
teen minutes before the streams could
be used to any effect. The fourth
story of the hotel was hip roof, and
the flames travelled rapidly through the
upper story, being inaccessible to the
firemen, who carried lines of hose up
through the building and on the roofs
of adjoining buildings. At last the
fire broke through the roof and ate its
way through the ceiling of the third
tsory. There was hardly man in the
vast crowd watching the proceedings
but who felt sure that the entire struct-
ure was doomed. Not so with the fire.
men. The flames had burned through
so they could get at the fire and II del
uge of water was poured onto the roof.
Slowly but surely the boys beat down
the dread element and after an hours
fighting the last spark was extinguish'
ed, and while the vast building was
ruined by water the fire never scorched
a carpet on the third floor. Better
work could not have been done
under the same circumstances
by the best fire department
in the country. The water works
proved their efficiency as fire ex-
tinguisher as they never did before.
While the tiremen were devoting their
energy to putting out the fire, willing
hands removed as much furniture as
possible from the building. OF course
the usual carelessness was exhibited
under intense excitement and all the
furniture taken out was III II damaged
condition
The origin OF the fire was undoubt-
edly from defective tlue. There was
"A heater on the second floor in room
No. g, in which water had been heated
to clean silver ware. 4 very hot fire
had been built. The tluc extends up
through rooms Nos. % and II and the
flames first appeared in the latter
room, which is conclusive proof that
the fire must have been caused ty n
defect in the chimney. The hotel was
owned by w. G. Gray, and leased
and operated by Mr.. Bailey and
the building and furniture cost some
$24 900. 1t is impossible to estimate
the loss on the building, but it will be
considerable especially from water.
The furniture may he considered a
total loss. The insurance was $4,000
on the building and $4,000 on furni-
ture.
ODDS AND ENDS.
The fire demonstrated the total
crippled condition OF the department
without hook and ladder truck.
Valuable time was lost waiting until
ladders could be scraped together from
all parts OF town, and the fire got IL
big start before water could be used
with any effect.
Mayor Taylor, with marked liber-
ality that is duly appreciated by every
member of the department, donated
$50 to the department from his private
funds, TO be equally divided between
the two companies, as a mark Of his
satisfaction with the work accomp-
lished.
j. $, White, II guest ut the hotel
lost a pocket book containing $l4O
and valuable papers.
Strangers were offering to bet $50 to
$l that the building would be burned
to the ground.
As II precaution carpets and blan.
kets were hung in front of Glovcr's
stable 20 protect it i'm case the hotel
burned to the ground, but the flames
never got hot enough to feel them
across the stivct.
The usual ludricrous scenes were
enacted through the excitement, and
it was common thing to see looking
glasses pitched out of the second
story windows. One careful individual
let down necessary piece of bedroom
crockery by rope. Just as it was
about to reach place of safety a
fireman struck it witha club, shatter.
ing it into thousand pieces.
a dozen extra policemen were put
on duty during the night to guard the
furniture that was distributed all over
the streets.
An immense throng viewed the fire
the streets being packed with men and
women.
In all probability had the fire broken
out at midnight many lives would have